


Because you're ... you

by ncitykillsme



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: College AU, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Sharing Clothes, mark cooking???, stealing clothes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-07-12 04:10:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15987353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ncitykillsme/pseuds/ncitykillsme
Summary: Haechan steals Mark's clothes because he thinks that's the closest he can get to Mark without rejection.





	Because you're ... you

**Author's Note:**

> im uh ,,, procrastinating from writing a jaemjen fic bc i suck so i mean ,,, if yall wanna read some nomin stay tuned ig (( insert star eyed emoji ))

Donghyuck pulled the blue velvety shirt off the hanger and folded it in his arms before slowly tip toeing out of the room. He’d safely made it back to his dorm and was sprawled out on the bed with Mark’s shirt in his hands, when Renjun slipped through the door and eyed him.

  
“Another one? Really?” 

  
“I like his clothes.” Hyuck simply said before turning away and curling into a ball, the shirt still in his arms. 

  
“You know he knows right?” Renjun sunk into his bed. 

  
“I mean it’s pretty obvious but he never says anything so…” Hyuck trailed off. 

  
“You’re lucky you like Mark because if that was me I’d burn you with all your MJ shirts.” 

  
“You would never!” Hyuck exclaimed dramatically making Renjun laugh. The two roommates then went on to talk about their days before Renjun drifted off to sleep. 

  
A few minutes later Hyuck’s eyes fluttered to a close but the words  _ you’re lucky you like Mark _ rung over and over in his head. Oh how wrong Renjun was. There was nothing lucky about a very openly gay boy liking a very seemingly straight boy who happened to be best friends. 

 

~ ~ ~ 

 

Usually Hyuck only stole Mark’s sweaters, those he could wear at home when they were all hanging out, and then Mark would take it back with him or Hyuck would shove it in his backpack. He just loved drowning in Mark’s clothes, he loved being engulfed by Mark’s familiar scent of sandalwood and musky vanilla with a tinge of baby powder—it was the closest he could be to Mark without rejection.    
  
Sure he never said anything but Hyuck always felt Mark’s eyes linger on him for a few extra seconds, as if he was thinking  _ wait is that mine? _

  
Hyuck never wanted the day to come where Mark would actually confront him. He dreaded it. He wasn’t sure if Renjun warned Jeno and Jaemin not to say anything but those two never pointed it out either. 

  
Until today that is. 

  
Jaemin, Jeno, Renjun and Mark were seated around a circular table at the cafe they frequented, all exhausted from the two hours of studying they’d done. And when Hyuck came running in, bag in his hand and the other clutching onto his phone, everyone looked relieved, as if they could finally take a break.    
  
Hyuck apologised and ordered everyone a drink, he couldn’t change his vocal lesson because his trainer had back to back college exams. 

  
Mark and Renjun shuffled to make room for Hyuck to slide into. Once he was seated Renjun moved back to him and rest his head on Hyuck’s shoulder. 

  
“Kill me. Please. Just take your pen and drive it through my head.” Renjun sighed and Hyuck rolled his eyes and chuckled. 

  
“You can pass this test Injunnie.” Hyuck put an arm around Renjun and smushed their cheeks together before kissing his temple.    
  
He looked over at Jeno and Jaemin who were wagging their eyebrows and looking fake disgusted. Hyuck rolled his eyes but he could feel Mark’s gaze he on him.  _ Shit did he notice the shirt _ .    
  
“Hey wait.” Jeno tilted his head to the side. “Isn’t that Mark’s shirt?”    
  
Hyuck stiffened and looked down at his outfit. Shit he’d forgotten to change after his vocal training.    
  
“Uh-” Hyuck let go of Renjun and pulled the sleeves over his fingers.    
  
“I gave it to him.” Mark spoke up and Hyuck’s head snapped to him. “He was cold last time we hung because he’s dumb and forgot a jacket.”   
  
Mark looked at him and Hyuck couldn’t decipher whatever was behind his eyes. There was a moment of silence before Hyuck snapped out of it.    
  
“Yeah well you’re not much better. All you brought was this thin as bullshit.” Hyuck rolled his eyes and looked over at Jeno and Jaemin who were giggling softly. Hyuck didn’t have to look at Renjun to know he was trying not to lose his shit.    
  
“Cute.” Jaemin winked at Hyuck before he went back to explaining the Chemistry worksheet to Jeno. Renjun went back to silently screaming at his Physics work but Hyuck knew he wouldn’t hear the end of it once they got back home.    
  
Sighing, Hyuck pulled out his laptop out and opened up all the tabs he’d saved in an attempt to research his history assignment.    
  
Mark had gone back to his work so, slowly, Hyuck leaned in.    
  
Hyuck’s voice was soft and his lips almost brushed Mark’s but he made sure not to. “Thanks.”   
  
He leaned back and went to scrolling through journal articles when he felt Mark move closer to him, he was almost pressed against him like Renjun.    
  
“Keep it. It suits you.” Mark’s voice was low so that only Hyuck could hear.    
  
Hyuck’s brain shut down for a few seconds and his heart jumped into his throat. He felt the blood rush to his face and he was 100% sure his ears were the same shade as Jaemin’s shirt. He wasn’t sure if he was breathing though.    
  
_ Get it together Haechan.  _   
  
He snapped out of it and turned to Mark. The boy wasn’t looking at him but he sure as hell was paying attention to him.    
  
“So you think I look good.” It wasn’t really a question, more of a statement. He raised an eyebrow and Mark glanced at him before opening and closing his mouth. “Hm?” Hyuck teased.    
  
Mark didn’t respond and Hyuck turned back to his laptop. That was enough for one day.    
  
He wasn’t sure if he imagined it or not but he thought he heard Mark whisper something along the lines of “Don’t you always.” But he opted to believe that it was just his mind playing tricks on him. 

 

~ ~ ~ 

 

“So.” Mark sidled up beside Hyuck. They were walking a few steps behind Jeno, Jaemin, and Renjun.    
  
“So?”    
  
“I don’t know how to say this.”    
  
“What?” Hyuck looked at Mark but the older boy’s eyes were trained on the ground.    
  
“We’re going to get ramyun. You guys coming?” Jaemin called out to them from in front.    
  
Hyuck must have made face because Mark grabbed his hand and pulled him in the opposite direction of their friends. “We’ll see you later!”    
  
After a few minutes of being dragged Hyuck finally pulled his hand away. “Where are we going?” He whined.    
  
“I want pasta.”    
  
That’s all Mark said until they made it to a little restaurant and finally sat down. They had just finished ordering when Mark started speaking again.    
  
“So…”   
  
“God please use your words.” Hyuck placed his elbows on the table and leaned his face onto his palms before staring at Mark.    
  
“Right.” Mark looked right at Hyuck. “Why do you borrow my clothes?”    
  
“Oh.” Hyuck’s elbow slipped. “Does it make you mad?” Hyuck could feel a hurricane of butterflies in the pit of his stomach.    
  
“What?” Mark looked taken aback. “No!” He threw his hands in the air and shook his head, Hyuck softened at the tone of his voice. “I just….you look cute in them.”    
  
“Oh?” Hyuck leaned forward again. “You think I look cute?”    
  
Mark’s words were broken and Hyuck could barely make out what he muttered. “Is that not what I just said.”    
  
They fell quiet again until the food came. Hyuck watched as Mark’s eyes lit up when they placed the bowl of pasta in front of him. He chuckled softly as Mark bounced a bit while picking up his fork.    
  
“They’re comfy.” Hyuck spoke at his burger. “Your clothes are comfy.” Hyuck peered up through his lashes to see Mark shove an entire fork full of pasta in his mouth. “They smell nice, like you.”    
  
Mark still had the fork in his mouth when he started choking. “You- you can’t just  _ SAY _ that.” He barely got the words out before sipping on his drink.    
  
“Why not?” Hyuck shoved the burger in his mouth.   
  
“Because I-” Instead of finishing the sentence Mark returned to eating and Hyuck didn’t press him further. 

 

~ ~ ~ 

 

The next week was….odd, to say the least. Everytime Hyuck came home from class there was a neatly folded sweater or shirt on Hyuck’s bed. Renjun denied having seen anything. At first Hyuck was terrified, until he picked up the sweater and sniffed it.   
  
_Mark_.  
  
So he started wearing them, even to his classes. Yesterday Mark saw him, looked him up and down, and smiled. Hyuck would be lying through his teeth if he said it didn’t make his heart flutter.   
  
Today he was wearing Mark’s new jumper—it looked two sizes too big which made no sense since he and Mark were almost the same height but Hyuck pegged it down to Mark’s broad-as-the-Pacific-Ocean shoulders. He was drowning in the jumper but he loved it, he was enveloped with the scent of Mark.   
  
Hyuck felt a little bad because Mark had only just bought it. Hyuck said it looked cute but he sure as hell didn’t expect to find it folded neatly on his bed with a little note saying _this one I want back_. So when Hyuck walked in to Mark’s room, arms full with his friend’s clothes, he was surprised to find the older boy skip to him excitedly, a pastel pink apron speckled with little watermelons hugging his body.   
  
Mark took the clothes out of Hyuck’s hands. “Stay.”  
  
“What?” Hyuck followed Mark into the kitchen after he threw the clothes onto the couch.   
  
Mark and his roommate, Lucas, lived in the high end dorms, meaning they got their own kitchen and bathroom.   
  
“Who let you cook?” Hyuck looked at the pot on the stove. It didn’t smell bad.   
  
“It’s just Rabokki with cheese.” Mark mumbled. He looked so excited and Hyuck found himself smiling.   
  
“I’ll help chop the cabbage.” Hyuck washed his hands and began chopping. For once, he wasn’t the one in charge and he wasn’t exactly sure if that was a good thing or not. Hyuck was surprised when they finished without burning the house down.   
  
They were seated in front of the tv, at the coffee table and leaning on the couch having a Tom and Jerry marathon, when Mark put an arm around Hyuck. Hyuck noticed the older boy’s sleeves.   
  
“Didn’t you give me this yesterday?”   
  
Marked hummed in response and Hyuck looked at him, disgusted.   
  
“Why wouldn’t you wash it? It probably smells like me.” Hyuck nudged Mark’s chest and Mark pulled him closer.   
  
“Maybe I wanted to know what you smelled like.” Mark mumbled.   
  
“You could just hug me.” Hyuck winked at Mark and the older boy just tightened his arms.  
  
“That’s what I’m doing.” Mark moved his neck into the crook of Hyuck’s neck.  
  
_What_.   
  
_This doesn’t exactly feel … ‘straight’ or like Mark in general._  
  
“Mark.” Hyuck turned to face him. Their faces were close, like nose-to-nose close.   
  
For some unfathomable reason, Hyuck sensed tension. Not angry tension but, sexual tension? As if they were about to kiss, as if Mark _wanted_ to kiss him back. But that was absurd was it not? Mark? Wanting to kiss him? His best friend? A boy?   
  
Maybe he just really wants to know what Hyuck smelt like-   
  
Mark moved his face closer, tilting it to the side slightly, eyes fluttering closed. It was probably the most beautiful thing Hyuck had ever seen—prettier than the sunrise on New Years they watched from the roof of Hyuck’s house every year. He wished he could replay it over and over again.  
  
But he couldn’t.   
  
“I can’t do this.” Hyuck leaned away and pushed Mark’s arm away.   
  
“What?” Mark moved with him, trying to pull Hyuck back into his grasp.   
  
“I know you. I know you’d never play with anyone’s feelings.” Hyuck didn’t know what he was saying, or even what he was _trying_ to say. “But you keep giving me mixed signals and I-” He was not going to cry. Not today. Not in front of Mark.   
  
But what else could he do? He’d been in love with his best friend for over 10 years now.   
  
“I didn’t think you knew how to cry.” Mark tried to crack a joke and Hyuck deadpanned.   
  
“Listen here. I am _not_ crying over you I just- dammit Mark do you know what it’s like to love someone who you know will never like you back? Or at least I thought because now you’re just being all- I don’t even know what to call it.” Hyuck flailed his hands in the air like a madman.   
  
“I’m sorry.”   
  
“No don’t apologise what the fuck?” Hyuck swat Mark’s hand away. “You can’t control my feelings that’s not how it works Canada.”   
  
“Oh shit you called me Canada.” Mark mocked Hyuck and for some reason the butterflies in the pit of his stomach calmed down. It felt like their usual bickering.   
  
“It was pretty obvious I liked you anyway. I mean I stole your clothes. I hug you all the time. I even try to kiss you when I’m tipsy so I-.” Hyuck realised what he was saying and stopped. He should feel embarrassed right? So how come he felt so calm?   
  
“Sorry. For pushing you away.” Mark stop trying to reach out to Hyuck. “It’s just….it’s different when you do it. Like Lucas hugging me doesn’t affect me because I know he’s a gross dude bro and I feel nothing. It’s different with you.”   
  
Hyuck felt his gut drop. “I-is it because I’m gay.”   
  
Mark looked at him, properly. They met eyes. “Not exactly.” Mark cocked his head sideways and Hyuck sighed, frustrated.   
  
“You and your mixed signals. I’m going insane Canada. Insane.” Hyuck sighed again.   
  
He’s been sighing a lot lately.   
Mark made him sigh.   
A lot.   
  
“Okay.” Mark straightened his back and for once Hyuck was terrified.   
  
He’d only ever seen that much determination in Mark’s eyes once before, and that was when he decided to go beat up the guy who was bullying Hyuck in the fourth grade for being tanned before getting his ass handed to him. It was a cute gesture though. They’d only known each other for a few months back then. They even hated each other. Maybe it was that what made Hyuck fall for him, the beginning of the end.   
  
“Okay?” Hyuck looked at Mark curiously.   
  
“No more mixed signals.” Mark reached out, grabbed Hyuck’s shoulders, and pulled their faces together. Hyuck had his legs on either side of Mark’s.   
  
“See now,” Hyuck raised his hand to trace Mark’s face but stopped before the two touched. “This is the pinnacle of mixed signals.”   
  
“I uh….didn’t think I’d get this far.” Mark stuttered and let his hands drop but didn’t dare move his face away.   
  
“Canada.” Hyuck’s voice was low and filled with warning. “I don’t know what you’re trying to do but I’m trying really hard not to ki-”   
  
“Can you not do that?” Mark threw his head back on the couch.   
  
“Do what?”   
  
“Your voice. It’s hot.”   
  
Hyuck froze for a second before bursting into a fit of giggles. “Damn bih I’ve been called _a lot of things_ including the world’s biggest twink, burnt pudding and daddy long legs but _NEVER_ have I ever been called hot.”   
  
He was still trying to recover when Mark pouted. “It’s attractive okay.”   
  
“What? You find me attractive?” Hyuck wiped the tears from his eyes.   
  
“Yeah I do. What about it?”   
  
“Oh my god.” Hyuck grabbed Mark’s face with both of his hands. “Jesus Canada, what did those exams do to you?”   
  
“Shut up.” Mark grabbed Hyuck’s hands and pulled him close again.   
  
“Is your last brain cell okay? Is it still there-” Hyuck softly knocked Mark’s skull.  
  
“Shut up!” Mark raised his voice and Hyuck fell silent. Mark placed their hands between them and started massaging circles into Hyuck’s palms.   
  
“Sorry. Sarcasm and memes to cover the pain you kow?.” Hyuck mumbled into their lap. He was still sitting on Mark’s legs.   
  
“I know Hyuckie….Ah shit.” Mark whispered. “I push you away because for some reason my heart goes all,” Mark made an unrecognizable sound, as if to imitate his heart and Hyuck couldn't help but think how it resembled the sound of when Mark ran into a glass door when they were eleven.   
  
“W-was that a confession because it was-”  
  
“It’s not because you’re a boy. I don’t talk about it but frankly I don’t care about gender but it’s because you’re,” Mark took a breath. “You.”  
  
“What?” Hyuck trained his eyes on Mark’s fingers still working on his palms before slowly tracing along his knuckles.   
  
“You’re the only consistent thing in my life, even if you did make me want to go back to Canada for a solid two years.” Mark chuckled and Hyuck would have joined if it weren’t for the pounding of his heart. “Even when you’re sad you’re still the happiest person I know. Except when you hold petty grudges because holy shit. That one time you were mad I didn’t get you water so you bought me ketchup for my birthday.”   
  
“Are you confessing or calling me out?” Hyuck pressed their foreheads together.   
  
“Both.” Mark smiled. “Also quick confession, maybe I told half the boys in senior school that you had really stinky breath so they wouldn’t talk to you and that I’d set Yuta on them so they wouldn't hit on you.”   
  
“Wait. I thought that was Renjun.”   
  
“No. I begged him to pretend it was though.” Mark bit his lip and Hyuck shook his head.  
  
“You literally pulled every het move to exist.”   
  
“Anyway.” Mark brought Hyuck’s hands to his lips and kissed his fingers. “I uh…”   
  
“How come you’re kissing my hands but you can’t say I like you?”   
  
“YOU KNOW WHAT NEVERMIND I HATE YOU.” Mark couldn’t really pull away because well, Hyuck was sitting in his lap.   
  
“Well I love you.” Hyuck didn’t really regret saying that. Well maybe a little, especially now that the room was filled with silence. Even the TV felt like white noise.   
  
Mark didn’t say anything as he cupped Hyuck’s face. His hand was small and barely covered Hyuck’s cheek, it made the younger boy smile though. Mark’s eyes darkened as if to say ‘don’t tease me’ and Hyuck just stuck his tongue out in response saying ‘too late.’   
  
Mark was frozen in place so Hyuck pressed their noses together. He could feel Mark’s breath hot on his lips.   
  
“Close your eyes Canada.” Hyuck whispered. He wasn’t sure if Mark even heard it.   
  
But Hyuck’s breath hitched in his throat as he watched Mark’s eyes flutter to a close—the Eighth Wonder of The World.   
  
He’d never felt his heart beat so fast and he’d seen this boy shirtless before so that was saying something. He had to swallow the lump in his throat just to breathe. He hadn’t even moved forward when he felt Mark’s hand gingerly wrap around Hyuck’s waist and rest at the small of his back.   
  
So finally Hyuck closes the distance between them and brushes their lips together, testing the waters. When Mark doesn’t move, Hyuck comes back and presses their lips harder together, yet still on the surface.   
  
“Maybe I love you too.” Mark whispers and Hyuck smiles before smashing their lips together. Thank fuck Mark tasted sweeter than what he smelt like. 

 

~ ~ ~ 

 

“Are you wearing Mark’s clothes again?” Jaemin asked Hyuck as they walked out of their lecture.    
  
He was about to answer when an arm wrapped around Hyuck’s shoulders. “Yeah he is. Doesn’t he look cute?” Mark sounded happy, probably because he’d managed to distract Hyuck all of last night from their assignment to makeout and watch Harry Potter for the umpteenth time.    
  
“Gross.” Jaemin scrunched up his nose as Hyuck kissed the mole on Mark’s neck sending the older boy into a flurry of stuttering.    
  
“You look cute today.” Mark tried to recollect himself and kissed the side of Hyuck’s head.    
  
“Must be the shirt.”    
  
“I meant your makeup but I mean, y-yeah the shirt look cute too.” Mark mumbled.    
  
“When are you going to stop dying every time you realise I’m wearing your clothes.”    
  
“I don’t know, when are you going to stop stealing my clothes?”    
  
“Never.” Hyuck grinned and laced his fingers with Mark’s.    
  
“Then there’s your answer.” 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> follow me on twitter for lots of random ideas that i'll probably never write @/petnct


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